Fruit Drop, Small Size Spur USDA to Lower Citrus Crop Estimate

The USDA has cut 12 million boxes from the harvest since Dec.

Published: Friday, January 11, 2013 at 1:43 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 11, 2013 at 1:43 p.m.

WINTER HAVEN | Oranges continue to fall from Florida's trees before harvest at historically high rates, leading to another drop in the projected 2012-13 crop.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday reduced this season's orange crop by another 4 million boxes, or 3 percent, to 142 million boxes. That came after its 8 million-box reduction (5 percent) in December from the initial USDA orange crop forecast of 154 million boxes on Oct. 11.

This time most of the reduction, 3 million boxes, came off of the Valencia orange crop, which will not become mature enough to harvest until late February or early March. The USDA now projects the 2012-13 Valencia crop at 76 million boxes, down from 80 million boxes in October.

Average Valencia fruit size is near the smallest in the eight non-hurricane seasons on USDA records, the report said. Premature fruit drop remains "about average."

But Florida growers are watching the late season oranges and hoping drop rates don't accelerate once the fruit is ready to harvest.

"We wait on pins and needles," said Kyle Story, a Lake Wales-based grower. "I don't see any indication non-infected trees will experience more drop than usual."

Story was referring to trees not infected with the fatal bacterial disease citrus greening, which growers and scientists blame for the small fruit size on the entire Florida orange crop and the high drop rates so far on early and mid-season oranges harvested from October to March.

The USDA on Friday cut the early-mid orange crop by 1 million boxes to 66 million boxes after shaving off 7 million boxes in December. The premature drop on early-mid oranges has been the highest in 43 years, the USDA reported.

"What I'm seeing and hearing from other growers is that the Valencia drop is not as bad as the early-mids, but it has begun," said Jay Clark, a Wauchula grower and member of the Florida Citrus Commission. "Certainly, growers hope it won't be as bad, but we're dealing with an unprecedented situation."

Nobody knows how well greening-infected Valencia trees will hold their fruit through the end of the harvest in June, he added.

Greening, first discovered in Florida in the fall of 2005, did not spread to the entire growing region until the 2007-08 season.

Weather conditions between now and the end of the harvest will play a major role in Valencia fruit drop, he added.

The USDA kept the 2012-13 crop estimate for all other Florida citrus varieties unchanged from December. That includes grapefruit at 18 million boxes, tangerines at 3.8 million boxes and tangelos at 1.1 million boxes.

Polk leads the state's citrus-producing counties with 82,572 grove acres and 9.9 million trees in 2012, according to USDA data.

It historically leads the state in citrus production, as it did in the 2011-12 season with 31.2 million boxes. It ranked No. 1 in orange, tangerine and tangelo production, and third in grapefruit.

[ Kevin Bouffard can be reached at kevin.bouffard@theledger.com or at 863-401-6980. Read more on Florida citrus on his Facebook page, Florida Citrus Witness, http://bit.ly/baxWuU. ]

<p>WINTER HAVEN | Oranges continue to fall from Florida's trees before harvest at historically high rates, leading to another drop in the projected 2012-13 crop.</p><p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday reduced this season's orange crop by another 4 million boxes, or 3 percent, to 142 million boxes. That came after its 8 million-box reduction (5 percent) in December from the initial USDA orange crop forecast of 154 million boxes on Oct. 11.</p><p>This time most of the reduction, 3 million boxes, came off of the Valencia orange crop, which will not become mature enough to harvest until late February or early March. The USDA now projects the 2012-13 Valencia crop at 76 million boxes, down from 80 million boxes in October.</p><p>Average Valencia fruit size is near the smallest in the eight non-hurricane seasons on USDA records, the report said. Premature fruit drop remains "about average."</p><p>But Florida growers are watching the late season oranges and hoping drop rates don't accelerate once the fruit is ready to harvest.</p><p>"We wait on pins and needles," said Kyle Story, a Lake Wales-based grower. "I don't see any indication non-infected trees will experience more drop than usual."</p><p>Story was referring to trees not infected with the fatal bacterial disease citrus greening, which growers and scientists blame for the small fruit size on the entire Florida orange crop and the high drop rates so far on early and mid-season oranges harvested from October to March.</p><p>The USDA on Friday cut the early-mid orange crop by 1 million boxes to 66 million boxes after shaving off 7 million boxes in December. The premature drop on early-mid oranges has been the highest in 43 years, the USDA reported.</p><p>"What I'm seeing and hearing from other growers is that the Valencia drop is not as bad as the early-mids, but it has begun," said Jay Clark, a Wauchula grower and member of the Florida Citrus Commission. "Certainly, growers hope it won't be as bad, but we're dealing with an unprecedented situation."</p><p>Nobody knows how well greening-infected Valencia trees will hold their fruit through the end of the harvest in June, he added.</p><p>Greening, first discovered in Florida in the fall of 2005, did not spread to the entire growing region until the 2007-08 season.</p><p>"Fruit drop (on Valencias) is not as bad yet, but time will tell," said Frank Hunt III, a Lake Wales-based grower. "What early-mids do, Valencias don't always follow suit."</p><p>Weather conditions between now and the end of the harvest will play a major role in Valencia fruit drop, he added.</p><p>The USDA kept the 2012-13 crop estimate for all other Florida citrus varieties unchanged from December. That includes grapefruit at 18 million boxes, tangerines at 3.8 million boxes and tangelos at 1.1 million boxes.</p><p>Polk leads the state's citrus-producing counties with 82,572 grove acres and 9.9 million trees in 2012, according to USDA data.</p><p>It historically leads the state in citrus production, as it did in the 2011-12 season with 31.2 million boxes. It ranked No. 1 in orange, tangerine and tangelo production, and third in grapefruit.</p><p> </p><p>[ Kevin Bouffard can be reached at kevin.bouffard@theledger.com or at 863-401-6980. Read more on Florida citrus on his Facebook page, Florida Citrus Witness, http://bit.ly/baxWuU. ]</p>